August 2011

In This Issue
Upcoming Events
Field Trip: Visiting the Scene with your Investigator
Changes in JAC Procedures for New Fiscal Year

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Upcoming Events

 

September 9, 2011 - Palm Beach County Bar Association, Summer Cocktail Reception & Spelling Bee, Bear Lakes Country Club, West Palm Beach - Sponsor
 
September 15, 2011 - Palm Beach County Bar Association, North County Section Happy Hour at Brio's Restaurant, Palm Beach Gardens - Sponsor
 
Fall 2011 - Palm Beach County Solo & Small Firm Luncheon - Sponsor






 
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Henry Ford         






Greetings!

We bring you confidence through information.

Our job is to provide you the information you need. Whether it's through our investigative services or through our informative newsletters, we want you to have the latest and current information. In this edition, we have addressed two subjects: Field Trip: Visiting the Scene with your Investigator and Changes in JAC Procedures for New Fiscal Year.                                                                

We want to write about topics that you can use in your day-to-day practice. Please e-mail us your topics of interest at [email protected].

We encourage you to share our e-newsletter with others in your sphere of influence.

Sincerely,
Your Team at Complete Legal Investigations


Field Trip: Visiting the Scene with your Investigator

 

Tired of sitting behind your desk reviewing depositions and briefs? Want a little excitement? Does the idea of stopping at a local Starbucks for your favorite beverage and taking a little field trip appeal to you? Then grab that file and call your investigator and go see the scene where your client was injured, or charged with a crime.  

 

Most trial attorneys know the value of visiting the "event scene," the location where the event occurred that sparked the litigation you're involved with. But knowing the value of an action doesn't always equate to taking the action. That's why many lawyers instead send their investigators out to the scene to take photos and video, canvass the neighborhood, and prepare diagrams and charts. These exhibits can be powerful displays in hearings and at trial. Often, some fact from the scene can be disclosed or discerned by careful examination of the exhibits. Yet, nothing substitutes for walking the same ground or driving the same route your client did.  

 

Last month, I had the opportunity to visit various scenes with two attorneys as we prepared for trial in federal court. The client was charged with several counts, including kidnapping, two shootings, and a homicide. We took a Saturday morning and afternoon to visit several locations where the purported events took place, met with key witnesses at their homes, and developed a much better idea of what the government's case would consist of.

 

We actually walked ... Read More 

 

  

Changes in JAC Procedures for New Fiscal Year

 

Each fiscal year, the Justice Administrative Commission implements new procedures and policies. This year is no different. The following is a quick summary of the most recent updates from the JAC:

  • Supporting Documentation - If proper documentation is not received from the attorneys and due process providers, the JAC will now return the billing, rather than issue an audit deficiency. The attorney must provide the order of appointment within 30 days of appointment, along with the charging document. Other supporting documents include voucher covers, dispositions, hourly statements, and court's progress dockets. On indigent for costs cases, the JAC must be provided with all indigent for costs documents filed with the Clerk. The attorney must also execute a JAC Agreement for indigent for costs cases. JAC cannot pay any due process costs until JAC receives all documents and the Agreement. Complete information on supporting documentation can be found on the front page of the JAC Web site http://www.justiceadmin.org/. All incomplete billings will now be returned to the provider, rather than an audit deficiency being sent to the provider.
  • Direct Deposit Mailings - Due to budgetary constraints, the JAC will no longer be mailing direct deposit notices when payments are made. A breakdown of JAC payments is available online at https://flair.dbf.state.fl.us/caspub/vnpayhst.htm. You will need your Tax ID number to obtain payment information.
  • Untimely Billings - Two new additional penalties have been added for untimely billings by attorneys and due process providers as follows: Bills submitted ...Read More 

 

  

About Us
At Complete Legal Investigations, Inc., we help our clients eliminate uncertainty by understanding the issues confronting them. We conduct interviews, research, and forensic analysis to clarify disputed facts and identify potential solutions.

Complete Legal Investigations, Inc. is comprised of talented and experienced investigators and researchers with over 80 years' combined experience in the legal system. Our staff is bilingual and comprised of former federal and state investigators, Certified Legal Investigators (CLI�), Certified Fraud Examiners (CFE�), and a Certified and Florida Registered Paralegal (CP�). Working as a team, we provide an adjunct staff that works cooperatively with your law firm or business, so that you can offer your client the very best legal representation.  Learn more

 

Contact Us:
Post Office Box 33676
West Palm Beach, FL 33420-3676
Tel 561-687-8381
Fax 561-687-8389
[email protected]
www.completelegalinv.com

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